Information Technology Careers for Millennials

Information technology careers have become the catalyst to the influx of millennial graduates into the workforce in recent years. Tech companies are now inclined to hire millennials and to offer the job satisfaction that most young people need. Aside from high pay rates, young employees also consider flexibility, low stress, and the opportunity to work on something meaningful to society when job hunting. But a high paying job is always a good thing.

A recent survey of PayScale.com reports that 65 percent of those pursuing information technology careers actually use what they have learned from their degree programs for career advancement. The same survey shows that 53 percent of the respondents would recommend getting computer science degrees and IT certifications to friends, family and colleagues.

These facts alone make information technology a budding industry in the next decades. In fact, the need for IT experts is no longer relevant only to tech companies as most, if not all, companies and organizations also require IT components in their operations these days. Here are some of the more popular career options.

Software engineer

Most entry-level openings are looking for computer programmers or software engineers. Tasks include using programming languages to update existing computer software or create new ones for the company. Possible career advancement is towards becoming a lead applications developer who oversees, design, develop, test and debug computer software and applications.

A bachelor’s degree in computer science is required to be considered for the position. Three to five years of experience in the technology being used by the company would lead to possible promotion. Salary ranges from $80,250 to $108,000.

Applications architect

Cloud computing and mobile and web-based applications are booming these days. Application architects are literally the “architects” of the useful tools we all enjoy. They design applications from the infrastructure down to the interface.

A bachelor’s degree in computer science or information systems is a requirement and a master’s degree is preferred. Salary can be as low as $87,250 to as high as $120,000.

Web developer

Web developers are likewise in demand these days, if the application architects create apps, web developers plan and implement how these apps will be used for the benefit of the company and the consumers. They are most often involved in product development and marketing, web analytics and other business processes.

A computer science and/or a business degree are preferred. Opportunities for career advancement can be obtained from five years of work experience on various web technologies. Salary for these information technology careers can range from $76,250 to $108,250.